Samburu National Reserve

National reserve · Samburu

Samburu National Reserve

National reserve · Samburu

Kenya

Highlights

Samburu National Reserve offers an unforgettable experience with its stunning semi-arid landscape, unique wildlife, and a less crowded, tranquil atmosphere.

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@afar

"Situated in northern Kenya on the banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro river, Samburu National Reserve is a beautiful and arid ecosystem that’s lesser visited than its cousins in the south of the country due to its more remote location. The big draws in Samburu are the different types of wildlife on offer in comparison to other parks. The Grevy’s zebra, for instance, is an elegant creature not found in the south – its stripes are thinner than that of the common zebra, and its frame more tall and horse-like. Samburu is a popular option for those looking to escape the large crowds drawn to famous parks like the Masai Mara."

The Best National Parks in Kenya

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@michelinguide

"Walk with the more than 1,400 elephants of Samburu National Reserve (a great place to go on safari), who’ve been GPS-tracked by Save The Elephants for a whopping 845,000 hours. Among the elephant families you can meet are the Swahili Ladies and the Clouds, pictured with several cute, tiny babies." - Sophie Friedman

Miss Traveling? You Can Still See the World

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Jeff Anders

Google

Samburu is usually drier because of the climate of the area but there are still plenty of animals, and a few you won’t see anywhere else. Lots of cats here so odds are good for encounters. Definitely in my top 3 for Kenya.

Kanen Kuruvilla

Google

Amazing safari trip. I went with my personal car and took around 2 hours but barely covered the whole area. So many animals were seen such as elephants, giraffes, HUGE zebras and much more

Larry Ward

Google

Amazing 4 days in Samburu in January 2025! I was told it had less wildlife than the Mara but we didn’t find that the case at all. The park seemed small but a manageable size and there are animals you can only see here, in addition to 3 of the Big 5. It is drier and hotter here than in the Mara when we went but still comfortable. We chose between here and Amboselli and are glad we chose Samburu for the different scenery and unique animals. Highly recommend!

Ezra Komu

Google

Stunning wildlife haven. offers unique and lesser crowded experience as compared to other famous national parks.

Marco De Stefano

Google

Amazing Safari. In 3 game drives we saw scores of elephants, impala, recticular giraffe plus many others. We also spotted 5 different leoness, one Cheeta and one leopard. The scenario is wonderful and quite "compact".

Mathew Taylor

Google

This is a park definitely worth seeing. Rugged, diverse landscape with lots of vegetation, small mountains, and the river along its southern edge. A beautifully scenic park to drive around with a multitude of paths you can follow as you search for wildlife. It has a very wild and isolated feel to it so when you come across wildlife in varying surroundings, it makes it memorable trip you’ll never forget

Arif Teeka

Google

As compared to Masai Mara, Samburu National Reserve is very much less crowded and calm, you can enjoy the nature without being intimidated by numerous vehicles or rangers. However, there are less animals be it in variety or numbers. It is one of the rare places in Kenya where you will see the reticulated giraffes. Other animals include lions, cheetas, elephants, ostriches, zebras, crocodiles, etc. Two nights and 3 days can be enough for Samburu but I will recommend you combine visiting other places if you are coming from Nairobi like Mount Kenya, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Aberdare National Park etc., and spend like 7 nights in these regions. But plan your journey outside of the rainy seasons (especially October, November) and hire a land cuiser for best experience. But honestly its a very very expensive experience as to what you will be able to admire.

Tomas Vojtek

Google

It is quite hard to see some animals here as there are high bushes. On the other side, we found here some of the endemic animals like oryx, somalian ostrich and gerenuk. Also it is pretty far from Nairobi and during the dry season there istoo high temperature.

@afar

The Best National Parks in Kenya

View Postcard for Samburu Trails

@michelinguide

Miss Traveling? You Can Still See the World

View Postcard for Samburu National Reserve

Jeff Anders

Google

Kanen Kuruvilla

Google

Amazing safari trip. I went with my personal car and took around 2 hours but barely covered the whole area. So many animals were seen such as elephants, giraffes, HUGE zebras and much more

Larry Ward

Google

Ezra Komu

Google

Stunning wildlife haven. offers unique and lesser crowded experience as compared to other famous national parks.

Marco De Stefano

Google

Mathew Taylor

Google

Arif Teeka

Google

Tomas Vojtek

Google